Frugal Living Challenge 2011 - part 1

never_too_old

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Help! I seem to have lost my thanks button and the balloony one Anyone know how can I get them back ?

are you still logged in?

enjoyfinancialchallenges

Oh! the buttons are back now, I dont know how I did that. Panic over. Anyway I'll do a groop thanks whilst I can to all the lovely frugaleers and for all the tips, hints, laughs, surprises and just for being on the thread. :beer:

rubytuesday

enjoyfinancialchallenges wrote: »

Oh! the buttons are back now, I dont know how I did that. Panic over. Anyway I'll do a groop thanks whilst I can to all the lovely frugaleers and for all the tips, hints, laughs, surprises and just for being on the thread. :beer:

Ha ha I read that as grope thanks !

I went to a jumble sale this afternoon. I got there as it was ending and people were coming away with bin bags and suitcases full of stuff! I bought a willow patterned bowl for 50p.
I'm not sure whether to be disappointed I missed all the bargains or pleased I only spent 50p!:rotfl:

dizzy_lizzie

minnie2 wrote: »

ok so i need to catch up properly!! been having a catch up on our money too - not been on the ball last few days. But i have worked out thats this will be the first month that i dont have to worry about finding money just to cover our bills!!!accounts and agreements!

That's great minnie. Wasn't that long ago when you were feeling a bit despondant about it all but look what's happened because you stuck at it. Well done!

23rdspiral wrote: »

hi, i'm just popping in to change my sig - fri was a NSD !! it nearly wasnt - i was about to buy a fashion scarf in primark but realised reaching my NSD target would be hard, so put it back. if i still REALLY WANT IT next week on food shopping day, i'll go get it.

Good on yah spiral Exactly what I did yesterday regarding a sweet little Beswick ornament. Any other time I would have thought 'well I like so I'll buy it' But I resisted, thanks to everyone on here :A

rubytuesday wrote: »

I went to a jumble sale this afternoon. I got there as it was ending and people were coming away with bin bags and suitcases full of stuff! I bought a willow patterned bowl for 50p.
I'm not sure whether to be disappointed I missed all the bargains or pleased I only spent 50p!:rotfl:

Ooh that would have been such a dilemma though ruby And I bet you'd have bought things you didn't really need just because they were 50p then you'd have felt rotten about it...wouldn't you? The willow pattern plate sounds lovely and a bargain

Not done much up to now this weekend. Cleaned the fridge yesterday, finished off some crochet bunting this morning and then popped into town with OH for a few bits. Bought this book from a charity shop 'A Dog is Listening' it looks really interesting.
Picked DD up at 4.45 am this morning so planning on having a rest tonight as she's sleeping out so don't have to worry about staying awake to pick her up! I did get my ironing done though in the dead of the night
Not done a menu yet for next week so better get that sorted and then shop for it...may have to try an online shop, I've been threatening to do that for a long time!
Hope the link works, haven't done of of those before like that. Thanks cw, followed your instructions
Luv dizzy x
♥

seriouslyfrugal

Hi Everyone

NSD for me today :j

just popped in to update things when i remembered I hadn't mentioned a couple of things I noticed when in town last so here goes


Iceland milk ( 4 pints ) is now back to £1.00 ( gone down 10p ) :T

In poundland I noticed that they had plastic planters, planter bags & potato bags to grow veggies etc in I 'm guessing it's a bit like growing potato's in bags but for anyone who has a patio garden it could be useful

have a good frugal sunday everyone !!!!

lynzpower

Hello all :wave:

Well was supposed to be going out tonight but my freind cancelled as she was not feeling so well . In a dillemma- should I feel happy about moneysaving aspect! We will be going out next week hopefully thou and that can come from febs budget!

OH has put a 10 on the gas earlier but we dont need it yet, this still puts us under for jan :j

Made more parsnip soup earlier

Unfrugal flgihts booked :j - irejigged them to save extra money of course Hotels booked too that is out of Xmas money though so technically not from the yearly budget :j

Oh found a tube of toothpaste in a holdall last night ( sad that I was so pleased with this lol)

Wil have to go and get hir mousse tomorrow will pay with the boots points.

Also hav found a pair of curtains in argos that we can get for free with the vouchers :j so our front curtains can be opened and closed finally!

No wormery making I have to turn the sed out tomorrow and see what we need to buy, hopefully not much!

Hope everyone else is having a happy day

Frugal dinner from stores, few potato wedges and chicken portion from the M&S deal and salad.

23rdspiral

a surprise NSD today! :j
had a much needed lie-in; a beautiful present came by special delivery; house buying progressed a stage; OH bought whoopsied cheese as he was also buying crisps (which i wont pay for and wont have in else i'll eat them, he keeps them at work); then handmade beef & mushroom pie prepared & waiting to be cooked, and kitchen cleaned whilst booging on down to Madonna. so am planning a movie and a pint tonight and hopefully some stitching, all well deserved.

Thanks for the encouragement re not buying the scarf. they are a particular weakness of mine, esp as i get a sore neck if too cold after a work injury a few years ago.

am off to the Old Style Board to find out how to cook the whoopsied pastry! i've already made a stew for the filling... wish me luck!

``````````
Mooloo - good luck with sorting your new house! when we move i'll loose my big kitchen and pantry, but theres a lean too that i think i could use for dry good storage if i put things in a 'hourse feed' bin first.

rubytuesday wrote: »

I then went to Oxfam and bought myself a couple of garments four books at 99p each, Toast, Buy.ology, Beyond chocolate

Ruby, I read Toast from the Library a couple of years ago and thought it was Brilliant. Really insightful and i could hear Nigel's voice say every word. i've been waiting to find it in a CS. I thought the TV adaptation was ok, but the book was better. I wanted to recomend it to my mum but was too embarased about one bit!

dizzy_lizzie

23rdspiral wrote: »

a surprise NSD today! :j
Ruby, I read Toast from the Library a couple of years ago and thought it was Brilliant. Really insightful and i could hear Nigel's voice say every word. i've been waiting to find it in a CS. I thought the TV adaptation was ok, but the book was better. I wanted to recomend it to my mum but was too embarased about one bit!

DD and I loved watching his series, 'simple suppers,' hadn't realisd he'd written a book about his childhood. Just read some of the rave reviews and it sounds like it had been a very sad one at times. I'll have to get a copy of the film. He comes across as very gentle on the tv.
spiral, mum always wore chiffon type scarves to keep her neck warm to help stop it from aching, she said. It's quite a chic look now
Need to have a dip soon and a relax then have a look what's on tv. Hopefully we'll have a recorded Poirot or Midsomer floating around.
Looks like there has been some great tightening of the purse strings :T Sadly not mine but tomorrows another day
Luv Dizzy x
♥

SandraScarlett

Well this was going to be a NSD for me, but I went on Grabbit, and found a post about some M & S sale items and ......... I bought £138 worth of stuff for ........ £18! :j :j :j

I laughed so much lynzpower when you said that you were happy that you'd found a tube of toothpaste in a holdall! But isn't it great that we're all adopting this way of life now. I made "seafood pasta medley" for lunch today, which sounds posh, and DH thought it was delicious. It was only odds and sods from all the nearly-empty packets of various pastas, with some cheese sauce, a few frozen prawns, and a half tin of chopped tomatoes that was in the fridge.

Minnie you must have been so proud of yourself, repaying your bills. I get such a feeling of accomplishment when I can tick something off a list, or write "Paid" on a bill, and file it. I hope everyone feels they've achieved something this month, and things are even better in February. Have a great weekend everyone.

xx

enjoyfinancialchallenges

rubytuesday wrote: »

Ha ha I read that as grope thanks !

I went to a jumble sale this afternoon. I got there as it was ending and people were coming away with bin bags and suitcases full of stuff! I bought a willow patterned bowl for 50p.
I'm not sure whether to be disappointed I missed all the bargains or pleased I only spent 50p!:rotfl:

Well, if thats what you want we can have a grope thank's, or even a groop hug anything you want!! :rotfl:

Hope I'm not putting the damper on folk's enthusiasm ....BUT....I have never manged to grow beans in loo rolls, they always goes mouldy before the beans germinate. Could be to do with the quality of loo rolls I use I suppose.

Iv'e had a wormery for about 7 years now, my DD bought it for me for my 65th birthday.(another year it was a rock, it must be the Shirley Valentine in me, at times with four children life was a bit like talking to the walls or the rocks):rotfl: You can tell she understand me though can't you? The inital set up came from W**** Wigglers, and I still have it up and running, its not as easy as it seems and not a lot goes on in the winter, I shall be surprised if all is OK this year also because I usually wrap the wormery in an old mat but winter came too quickly and I didn't get around to it. In the garden the worms can go down into the soil when it freezes but its not possible for them in a wormey. I don't find it as quick as all that either because the worms have to eat the stuff you give them, them they need to digest it, then poo it, (back to the outside loos again SS) and its only a small amount at a time which is why lots of worms are needed to do the job, I think I had 1000 to start with and they breed from there on if conditions are right, Iv'e never topped my numbers up though they just multiply. Hope this is of use to anyone considering buying/making a wormery.

Doesn't Pasta seafood medley sound 'posh' SS pleased it was enjoyed by your DH. Dont spill the beans on how easy it was to make just keep the magic going, let him think you sweated blood to achieve that standard of food
XX E